Leave it to the Italians to set priorities straight: for the 6 million Euros DEXMART robot project, which focuses on the development of robotic hands, a Naples University team created ... a coffee-making robot!

The robot, named justine, is the first result of an 6.3-million-euroEU project called DEXMART , led by naples university professor Bruno Siciliano . Justine's arms and hands are precise enough to duplicate some of the movements of human hands. in particular, Justine can make instant coffee. 'The problem of using two hands together, the way humans do when the pick up a heavy plant pot, is a particularly sticky one. At present robots can use a single arm with reasonable accuracy and flexibility. But until now they have fallen short of the technological complexity and artificial intelligence needed for a two-handed approach. We want to develop a system of two-handed manipulation, equipped with sensors that make the robot conscious of its surroundings and the people in its working space', Siciliano said.